Room Remains At Shelters

HURRICANE CHARLEY - HAVENS AFTER THE STORM

Some Storm Shelters Filled Up By Friday Night, But Others Had Plenty Of Room As Hurricane Charley Blew In.

August 14, 2004|By Dan Tracy, Sentinel Staff Writer

People who lost power or a roof to Hurricane Charley could turn to more than 60 emergency shelters that opened up across Central Florida on Friday night. Along with a dry place to rest, most offered food and water, too.

Red Cross emergency officials were on call at the shelters, ready to assist people with medical or nursing needs.

With a number of mobile-home parks under evacuation orders, some shelters were full Friday, including one of only two in Orange County that allowed pets.

Two others that filled up in Orange and Osceola accepted people with special needs, including individuals who are bedridden, oxygen-dependent or vision-impaired. Shelters at West Orange High, Howard Middle and Corner Lakes Middle were full, and a shelter at Dr. Phillips High was near full.

But many shelters had plenty of room. At DeLand High School, more than 60 people showed up by late afternoon. Capacity was 600.

Lavada Elliott, of DeLand, 39, was there with her two daughters, one 15 months old and the other 16 years. Elliott came to the shelter because she said her house is unstable.

"It's on bricks,'' she said. "There are leaks and old rotten trees very close by. It wasn't safe.''

She packed pictures, valuables, toys, medicine and other things she didn't want to lose.

In Brevard, all 13 of the county's emergency shelters were open Friday night, with 773 occupants and a total capacity of 12,800, county emergency-management officials said. Only the BCC-Cocoa Campus Shelter had reached capacity as of 8 p.m. Friday.